Henry and Betty Nathan: personal papers

This collection contains the personal papers of the Jewish couple, Henry and Betty Nathan, who emigrated to London in 1937 to avoid Nazi persecution . Included are birth certificate and extract of the register of births relating to Ellen Dollie Nathan, press cuttings concerning Henry Nathan's tapestry company in Northern Ireland, copy correspondence with the Royal Household regarding a request for tapestry by Her Majesty Queen Mary (WL1702/13), certificate of naturalisation (WL1702/11) and Betty Nathan's German driving licence. The collection also includes two friendship albums ('Poesiealbums').

Henry Nathan was born in Bromberg, Germany on 29 November 1898. His father's family was French. His mother, Clara Nathan, lived in Berlin and was murdered at Theresienstadt concentration camp during the Second World War. Henry Rosenthal married Betty Rosenthal, born on 10 December 1896 in Berlin. They had two daughters: Ellen Dollie born in 1927 and Helga born in 1934. Henry Nathan was managing director of Mechanische Weberei Krüger, a firm manufacturing furnishing fabrics in Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg.

The company was very sympathetic to the Jewish family's situation in Nazi Germany and allowed Henry Nathan to transfer to their European office in London. The family emigrated to the UK in September 1937. With the beginning of the Second World War work dried up. Nathan decided to start his own factory manufacturing furnishing fabrics at Tapestry Weavers (Ulster) Limited in Crevillyvalley, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. He commuted between London and Northern Ireland regularly. The company folded with his death in 1960. The family obtained British citizenship in September 1946.

Chronological

See Wiener Library access conditions at: http://www.wienerlibrary.co.uk/usinglibrary/usingthelibrary.aspx

Donated by Deborah Stern.

2005/44

See also Photo Archive 2005/44.